Visual
by PigglesWiggles
Summary: Never once had either of them thought of the other in a romantic way. However, once Kisame learns the truth behind his partner, he becomes panic-stricken at the thought of losing him. Willing to do anything to make their remaining time together more meaningful, Kisame discovers the feelings he had repressed for his partner & hopes to have something more before the inevitable end.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Hey all, welcome to my first fan fiction! I have always enjoyed writing and decided to try my hand at fanfics (clearly since I've started writing one). I've noticed a distinct lack of Kisame love, support, and smut out there so I am embarking on a quest to change that. (I know most of the smut that IS available is with Itachi so there may be more plans for my blue skinned friend in the future).

This fanfic in particular is dedicated to my friend Rica. I probably wouldn't have gotten off my proverbial ass and pushed myself to write something if it wasn't for you, I highly appreciate you.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or its characters. I do not claim to be a good writer so I don't know how this will/did turn out. Also, this does take place in the Naruto universe but some major and minor plot details from the actual show/manga may be changed throughout the story. Timelines may be switched around and things that did happen might not occur and things that didn't happen might.

WARNINGS: There will be violence, coarse language, nudity, and sexuality throughout this. All of my lemony goodness will be uploaded elsewhere to abide by the terms and conditions of FFN (don't worry, I shall provide links when that day comes). (Rated M for later chapters)

* * *

"You don't know how lucky you are. With that pathetic display, you should all be dead." The shark said with a dark chuckle as he kicked the gut of one of the shinobi.

"That's enough, Kisame. We've already attracted enough attention as it is." Itachi stated as he walked away from the scene. Kisame sneered and gave the man one last kick for good measure. He never got to finish the job when Itachi was around. Sure, there was more of them this time so the situation got a bit out of hand, but what's six or so more casualties than normal in the grand scheme of things anyway? If anything, it just added to the challenge. Not that these sorry excuses for ninja posed one in the first place.

' _They'll let just about anyone become a shinobi these days. Maybe I'm getting old and am too set in the old ways._ ' Kisame thought to himself as he caught up to his partner. Whatever happened to the old training methods anyway? Sure, they were a bit on the extreme side but everyone must shed a little blood in their lifetime at some point or another, right? Such was the way of the shinobi. Kisame peered down at the Uchiha in an attempt to read his expression.

"Would it be such a problem if you let me finish a fight for once?" Kisame inquired with an exasperated undertone. Itachi walked on in silence as if he hadn't even heard the question. The shark nin grunted,

" _As talkative as ever, I see._ "

They walked on in silence through the endless boulders for what must have been hours, steadily headed toward Iwagakure. The four tails jinjuuriki was said to have resided there for quite some time but had since left the Stone. To ensure his capture, they were to meet up with a contact who may be able to shed some light on where the four tails had gone.

"How do we know we can trust this 'contact' anyway. I don't feel like dealing with a turncoat, especially if I'm not allowed to kill him."

"Pein was the one who recommended we speak with this contact. Do you not trust his judgement?"

For a quiet man, Itachi did have a way of prodding a mind with hard-hitting questions that made one question their existence in some way or another.

"I just don't see why we have to make the trip. If this is Pein's contact, could he not have asked and told us the information himself."

Itachi didn't respond, either because he couldn't be bothered to argue about such a trivial matter or because he knew Kisame had a point. The blue nin decided it was the latter for his pride's sake. The two shinobi returned to the peaceful silence as they made their way to Iwagakure. Once they reached the gates, they were stopped by the village guards.

The first guard was quick to speak, blissfully unaware of who he was dealing with. "Hold it you two. We need to see your papers before we can let you in. State your business."

The second, much older guard looked more frightened than the first, probably realizing the gravity of the situation. "You're… You're members of the Akatsuki..."

Kisame reached for the handle of Samehada, waiting for a move to be made by either of his new opponents. Itachi stayed forever emotionless and silent. Pein hadn't bothered to mention the minor detail that they may have to fight their way to the contact. It should have been obvious though, considering most of, if not all, the major shinobi villages knew to be wary of the black cloaks with red clouds.

"It's alright fellas, I've been expecting these two," A voice called from atop the large stone gates before them. The body attached to the voice made its way down the rock face and landed beside them. The shinobi smiled at the two Akatsuki and turned towards the guards. They a look of combined shock and confusion.

"What do you mean, Izuki? You can't be serious!" said the older of the two men. The man revealed to be Izuki walked towards the two and took something out of his pocket. He handed the item to the older man and leaned in close, making sure any onlookers wouldn't be able to gain knowledge from their conversation.

"Here; you have a young daughter, don't you? I heard she's been quite sick as of late. It would be a shame for a pretty young flower like her to wither and die so soon. This should be enough to offset any medical costs. It's yours, so long as you don't mention that these two were here. They aren't here for the Tsuchikage, or anyone in this village for that matter. They're here to speak with me about an old friend, nothing more. Keep your mouth shut and you can have your daughter live long enough to see her get married."

"You can't let him get in your head, Sensei! He's lying! We need to report this to the Tsuchikage!"

The older man paused, his gaze fixated on the ground before him. In a matter of moments, his shoulders slumped and he took the money from Izuki. As he moved to open the gates for the three men, the younger of the two stood still, looking at his Sensei, obviously stunned and hurt by such a blatant betrayal of his village.

"Come in, won't you?" Izuki prompted as he walked through the gates. Itachi followed suit and Kisame chuckled, still observing the two Iwagakure guards. They both looked utterly defeated, but in two entirely different ways. The younger powerless to do anything and the older ashamed at his newfound treason.

" _Exactly the kind of corruption I hoped to escape. Seems as though I'll never quite get away from the lies the shinobi world has to offer_ ," Kisame thought to himself as he followed his partner and the contact inside.

* * *

AN: Izuki is not to be confused with Mizuki, which is an actual character in the series. Izuki is just a dude of my own invention to move things along. Man, the first chapter is done already. I am super pumped to work on the next installment and hope you all found this part enjoyable. Until next time~


	2. Chapter 2

Visual Chapter 2

AN: I thought I'd give you all a chapter that is a smidgen longer since the last one was a bit short. I promise more will happen but I want to have a slow(ish) build, so you're just going to have to suffer with me.

* * *

The three men sat inside a restaurant that had been bought out for the night, as not to be disturbed. How much money did this Izuki guy have? More importantly, where was it coming from? More extortion probably but Kisame decided it was probably better to let sleeping dogs lie. The restaurant was decent but nothing to write home about. Even so, buying out the entire thing for the night would cost a pretty penny. The interior was spacious, mostly wooden, and had quite a few tables. At one end of the room there was a counter with a register and a door behind it, presumably leading to the kitchen. The rest of the establishment was dimly lit, giving it an oddly intimate feeling. Considering the circumstances, this was quite an unwelcome feeling. As Kisame continued to take in his surroundings, he noticed another doorway halfway between the counter and the entrance. The sign above it indicated that the space overhead was used as an inn and that it was accessible from said door. As inviting as a bed sounded, there was no way the missing nins could stay in this village. The risk of the two door guards informing higher ups was too great. Besides, who knew which side Izuki was on? He claimed to have allegiance to Iwagakure but was about to divulge information about his former comrade so easily. His gaze turned to Izuki who was starring back at him, a sly smile on his face. His hair was brown and shaggy, his eyes were beady and green, and his scent…

' _Appalling._ ' Having a superior sense of smell had its drawbacks. He wasn't close enough to Itachi for him to notice, but sitting across from the man was enough to solidify Kisame's opinion of disgust. Once the large bottle of sake they had ordered arrived to the table, Kisame immediately filled his cup and downed the shot with ease. Izuki chuckled and started to turn the topic of conversation to the matter at hand.

"So why is it that two members of the Akatsuki have come to Iwagakure, hm?" Izuki asked as he finished his first drink.

"Shouldn't you know by now? We don't have all day to waste." Kisame scoffed, thoroughly unamused by the childish games Izuki was about to play. He was still unconvinced that he could trust Izuki and was not in the mood for unnecessary banter.

Itachi finally spoke up, "Kisame is right. Considering you knew we were coming, you should be aware of why we are here. The longer we waste on trivial games, the less time we have to achieve our objective."

Izuki poured himself a fresh drink. "And that objective would be...?"

It became painfully obvious that the two Akatsuki were going to have work to some degree for the information they desired. As of this moment, any of the hidden villages could know bits and pieces of their plans. In fact, it was quite likely they all new that the Akatsuki was after the tailed beasts, but to divulge the mission in full wasn't a smart move even if Izuki could be trusted. Kisame peered down at Itachi who seemed content with letting the shark handle this situation. He turned his attention back to the sake and poured himself his second drink that had become increasingly necessary.

"What do you know of the four tails?" Kisame inquired, evading the previous question to some degree. Izuki's head perked up and he starred at Kisame, a smirk slowly developing on his thin mouth.

"So, it is true. You're after the tailed beasts. Interesting, I couldn't begin to imagine what for." He chuckled again but it was more sinister than the last.

" _I can already tell that this guy's a bigger freak than I am_ ," he thought to himself, his unease and hatred for the man growing with every passing second.

"Well that's good, because it's no concern of yours," replied the shark nin. "Now, if you could answer my questions we'll be on our way."

Izuki's jaw clenched. "Look, I don't have to tell you a damn thing if I don't get information in return."

Kisame stood up and reached for Samehada. He swung the large sword overhead so that it landed on the table with a resounding crash. Itachi remained motionless as the table before him became nothing more than a pile of splinters. Izuki on the other hand had a twitch of fear in his face. Kisame grinned down at the man, letting his pointed, predatory teeth show.

"Rōshi left the village quite a few years ago, something about him getting better control over that beast of his! He uses fire and earth style jutsus."

Kisame relaxed a little as the information started to slowly come forth from Izuki. " _Clearly he just had to be knocked down a few pegs._ "

"Where is the four tails now?" Itachi questioned. Izuki's gazed snapped to Itachi and he frowned.

"How should I know? It's not like he left a note or anything." Izuki managed, still attempting to save whatever dignity he had left.

"You know, I'm starting to get tired of these games of yours. I'm frustrated and Samehada is hungry. Either tell us what we need to know or I'll slice you to ribbons. Personally, I hope you don't tell us so that I can finally get a much-needed kill," Kisame said lowly, eyes fixed on Izuki's. Itachi stood and started making his way to the exit, understanding that this was going to end quickly regardless of the outcome. This seemed to make Izuki even more panicked as his gazed darted between the two and his skin paled. He took a shaky breath inward and started talking.

"L-last I heard Rōshi should be out near a small village in the Land of Hot Water. Near Yugakure. That's all I know, I swear!"

Kisame pointed his sword towards Izuki's throat to ensure that he wasn't leaving out any details. When the man screamed and persistently said that was all the information he knew, Kisame returned Samehada to its rightful place on his back. The shark nin made his way to follow Itachi and the two shinobi exited the village as quietly as they had come, making their way towards the east. The Land of Hot Water wasn't too far away, so they had little time to prepare and even more motivation to get this capture over with. Dragging the body of the four tails back to the hideout was going to be unfortunate, but at least the trip isn't as far as it could be. The Akatsuki members walked for a few hours before deciding to set up camp for the night. After the Iwagakure situation, Kisame didn't feel like sleeping anyway so he offered to take the first watch. Itachi agreed and allowed him to kill whoever approached so long as he didn't make to much noise.

Kisame chuckled to himself, " _Is that so we won't attract attention or so that I don't wake you up?_ "

Kisame sat under one of the few available trees adjacent to the now resting Uchiha and watched him sleep for a moment. Even though his back was towards Kisame, he could still make out the slight rise and fall of Itachi's respirations in the soft moonlight. In this situation, the sight was almost… troubling. Kisame couldn't shake this feeling that something was off about his partner. Not in the sense that he was acting differently, on the contrary, he was the same stoic asshole he had grown to think of as a friend over the years. Well, as close to a friend as someone like him could get. No, something was off because Itachi didn't seem to be the heartless, blood thirsty killer that he was made out to be. The killer that Kisame actually was. Itachi was a pacifist through and through. He always stopped fights when necessary and, in a lot of cases, unnecessary. At first, he thought it was just about attracting too much attention and fighting battles that didn't need to be fought, until he looked at his eyes. Being the ex Anbu's partner had its perks, one of which was learning how to pay attention to your surroundings more and consider different possibilities. Kisame had never considered himself a calculating man but Itachi did teach him a thing or two about patience and observation. This made him able to understand that behind Itachi's eyes, there was some sort of emotion. Some sort of hurt. Kisame didn't care much for sentimental exchanges, nor did Itachi, so he decided that it was best to not prod. However, in situations like this, he did have to wonder.

" _Just what are you hiding, Itachi?_ " He thought turning his gaze away from the back beside him.

* * *

AN: I tried so hard to find out where in the hell Rōshi and Kisame fought so that I could make it take place in a similar spot. I could not for the life of me figure it out so this is what I came up with. Judging by the rain and amount of trees, I assumed it would most likely be the land of hot water. Seems about right since it was close to Iwagakure and could be all rainy and such. I don't know man, we're just going to have to deal with it. I've made my bed and now I've got to lie in it


	3. Chapter 3

AN: This chapter started out as kind of a bitch to write. Been trying my best to write a little every day (oh my god do I try). Hopefully we're still on the path of literature fulfilment and editorial righteousness (I'm very tired).

* * *

As Kisame awoke the next morning, he could smell burning meat. Fish to be exact. He sat up rather rapidly only to find that the aquatic smell was coming from some fresh water fish that were roasting on sticks next to an even smaller fire. The shark immediately relaxed and stretched with a rather loud yawn. As if on que, his stomach growled with impressive ferocity. He didn't even know how hungry he was until the sight and smell of food became a prospect that was too good to pass up. Standing, he began striding towards breakfast when his foot snagged on a tree root and there was a loud thud. Turning around he noticed that the 'tree root' was nonother than Samehada whom had fallen over from her perch against the tree he had been sleeping under. Kisame walked over to his prized sword and let out a couple of curses under his breath for being so careless.

An slightly irritated voice sounded behind him, "Must you be so deafening in all activities?"

Without turning around, he already knew his partner was sending him a disapproving stare. Kisame chuckled and picked Samehada back up to prop the sword against the tree.

"Only to offset your constant silence. I see you brought food, is it ready yet?"

Itachi gave a slight grunt in response which Kisame took as a yes. He headed in the direction he was originally intending on travelling and closed the gap between him and his prize. Sitting on the rocky and uneven ground, he picked up one of the fish and began to devour it. It was fresh and had more meat than he initially anticipated, so the day was looking to be promising. After finishing the first one, he selected his second prey. When he was about halfway done, he halted, remembering that he wasn't the only one who the fish were intended for. Not to mention the fact that the other man was the one who caught and cooked said fish. Kisame turned towards Itachi and held up a fish as an offering, gesturing it further in his direction. Itachi simply stared at the creature and waved it away, indicating that Kisame could have the rest. After the meat was consumed, bones were spit out, and fire was extinguished, the two were on their way once again to The Land of Hot Water.

"The four tails will most likely be near the Bamboo Village. It's the only noteworthy place close enough to Yugakure." Itachi started. The shark was taken aback at the sudden attempt at conversation.

"Do you think this will be an easy capture?" Kisame inquired. Opportunities to talk with his partner were few and far between and he planned to make the most of it.

"You shouldn't let your guard down, even when facing weak opponents. However, I don't doubt that you can handle it."

Kisame let out a small laugh in disbelief, "That almost sounded like a compliment, are you feeling alright?"

"Just don't get over confident," Itachi stated, attempting to end the exchange as quickly as it had started.

The Mist nin chuckled, "If I have learned anything from you, Itachi, it's to always be on my guard in a fight. I've grown far more perceptive than I used to be and I have you to thank for it. I have every right to be confident."

Itachi looked up at the man briefly, face expressionless. When Kisame returned the gaze, Itachi looked back to the road ahead. Out of the corner of his eye, the shark could have sworn he saw a hint of a smile grace his partner's lips. The thought of that was pleasant as Itachi didn't smile often. In fact, it was such a rare occurrence that he couldn't remember the last time he saw it. It was a pity, a smile suited his features quite nicely.

They walked in a comfortable silence that Kisame had grown accustomed to over the years. Rocks turned into trees and gravelly ground turned into grass as the two shinobi ventured closer to their objective. It was early evening by the time they got to the bamboo village. The travel time took less than expected so the two decided to rest for the night and resume their search in the morning. The Akatsuki members discovered the local inn and rented out one of the few rooms available. The inn was very small in comparison to the others the two had stayed at in the past, probably due to the village itself being rather small. It occurred to Kisame that the people here may not even know what the Akatsuki was. At least if the inn keeper knew, she didn't let on. She gave them nothing but smiles and was constantly making sure the two didn't need anything. When they finally convinced her that there was nothing more that they required, Kisame got a good look at the room. The room contained two single beds, two night stands with lamps, a round coffee table that was probably used as a dinning room table in a pinch, and a few chairs that looked as if they would creak the moment you laid eyes on them. There was also a small bathroom with a functioning shower and a window in the main room looking out over the village. Itachi immediately closed himself off in the bathroom and Kisame heard the shower turn on. He set Samehada down against a wall near the bed he was claiming and walked towards the window. The Bamboo Village was indeed noteworthy as Itachi had said. Bamboo enclosed the entirety of the village and surrounding area. It was because of this that the village looked so serene at night. The small space also meant the lack of hustle and bustle that the big hidden villages were known for.

" _How did I not notice how much bamboo there was? Heh, maybe I'm not as observant as I claimed_."

He pulled himself away from the window and headed back towards his bed. Taking off his cloak, he set it on the edge of the mattress and laid down. Starring at the ceiling, his mind drew blank. It wasn't until Itachi spoke that Kisame realize he had zoned out for a good 15 minutes.

"You look troubled," the freshly showered man noted. Kisame looked over and found Itachi to still be wet and shirtless, sitting on the bed across the room from him. His hair was still free of its usual constraints and cascading down his shoulders. The ebony locks dripping so that the strands left trails of water down his pale torso. Kisame sat up and walked to the bathroom to get in the shower himself. He turned on the water and shed the rest of his layers. He got in the shower and let the cool water run over him. There was clearly something wrong with him, even Itachi had noticed, but he couldn't pin point what it was for the life of him. The upcoming battle between him and the four tails? No, if what Izuki said was right and the four tails did use earth and fire styles, Kisame was at an advantage. Was he feeling okay? Yes, there seemed to be nothing physically wrong with him. Kisame's gills on his shoulders flexed under the water and he rested his head against the tiled wall, racking his brain for a clue as to what was troubling him. Water spilled over his defined back, trailing down his backside and legs, pooling at his feet before swirling its way into the drain. He drew in a deep breath and tried to relax his mind, thinking back to the events of the day. Maybe something had set him off?

" _That smile, something is different…_ "

Was that what was bothering him so much? Why did it make him uneasy and why did this anxious feeling spring up now? When no answer could be reached, he decided that it would present itself in time. His skin became the blue grey hue once again as the dirt washed away and he left the shower to put on his pants. Exiting the washroom, Kisame got directly into bed, not bothering to check if his partner was still awake. He closed his eyes and tried to will himself to sleep to no avail.

" _Something's different…_ "

He couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. Whatever it was, he wouldn't be satisfied until he knew.

* * *

The shark nin woke up the next morning rather early, although still tired. The night was restless. As much as he thought, he couldn't determine the source of this mysterious 'change' he felt so certain of. He didn't feel like eating much either. Managing to stomach a soldier pill, the two packed up and headed out. The inn keeper thanked them for their patronage on the way out as the two men set out in search of their prey once again. It didn't take long for them to come upon a stream where they heard commotion in the distance. After following the stream for a few minutes, the noise grew in intensity until they found the source. There stood the four tails practicing some taijutsu. As if on que, the jinjuuriki stopped, suddenly aware that he was not alone. The two Akatuski members stepped into the clearing as the four tails peered at them over his shoulder. Itachi walked to the edge of the clearing and sat down on the cliff, not taking an interest in the fight that was about to occur. Kisame grinned at the four tails as the jinjurriki turned to face him.

"Rōshi, is it? We've been looking for you," Kisame taunted.

"And I've expected you," the four tails replied.

Kisame chuckled, " _This may just be the bit of fun that I need to set myself straight._ "

* * *

AN: Whoa, what's going on with Kisame, am I right? The beast is finally done! One hurdle down and many more to go! The next chapter promises to be more exciting because there will be a fight scene! (Spoiler alert! Sorry, not sorry). I also never realized until now that I've ended every chapter so far with a thought from our shark friend. Maybe I'll keep that as a tradition. I wanted to include more of the relationship and dynamic between the two in this chapter (my darling Rica has been keeping up with the story and told me she liked how they were interacting so I thought, "Hey, MORE INTERACTION!"). Until next time, toodles~


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Sorry that this took way longer than anticipated, fight scenes are hard and life happened. Ain't that how it always is? Without further adieu, have a chapter, you deserve it.

* * *

Rōshi took a slight glance at Itachi, being sure to keep Kisame in his sights, as if waiting for either criminal to make a move.

"Your opponent is me, Itachi will stay out of this fight." Kisame stated, taking a step towards the four tails. Rōshi's snapped his gaze back towards Kisame and immediately started making hand signs. Rōshi grew one of the four tails possible as he entered tailed beast mode. The Mist nin had heard of this but hadn't seen much of it in person, especially in such an experienced opponent.

" _Getting serious so soon, I should be flattered._ "

Kisame adopted a battle stance, making hand signs of his own until Rōshi's body erupted into flames and charged towards him. Kisame quickly drew Samehada from his back and blocked the four tails' kunai. The heat from his body was almost unbearable; Kisame frowned at the thought of one of the lava covered fists connecting with him.

"I wish you'd just allow yourself to be captured without all this fuss," Kisame sighed, "It would make my job so much easier."

"If you let your guard down for even a moment, the four tails and I won't miss," Rōshi cautioned.

Kisame forced his sword down and took another swing which the red-haired man blocked with some difficulty.

The shark smirked, "Yes, it certainly appears that way."

Kisame pushed back against the curved kunai and went on, "Then how about I not give you any openings?"

Rōshi pushed as well, just long enough to knock the shark man off balance and kicked Kisame in the side with a molten food. The shark groaned under the intense pain and Rōshi jumped back, watching as the Akatsuki cloak was starting to melt due to the exposure to such high heat.

"You mean like the one you just gave me?" the four tails shot back before continuing to make hand signs. Kisame took off the cloak and threw it on the ground just before lava covered rocks were spit towards him. Kisame jumped and narrowly dodged them, still pained by the kick to the side. He managed some hand signs at last and water shot out of his mouth in a large stream, clipping Rōshi in the shoulder. A massive amount of steam was clouding the area around Rōshi as he charged towards Kisame, more molten rocks barreling in front of him. Kisame backed up as he landed and Samehada was engulfed in water. The water formed into a shark as the four tails drew near. Kisame finally thrust his sword towards his opponent with a yell, partially out of pain that the action brought with it. The shark burst forth from Samehada and raced towards the four tails. Unable to dodge, Rōshi braced himself for the worst as the shark crashed against him, causing an eruption of water. The four tails was knocked back in a cloud of steam as his lava cooled. The four tails remained unmoving and Kisame smirked as he headed towards the body. The shark nudged the head of the jinchuuriki with his foot.

"That wasn't much of a fight, was it?"

"No matter how firm your will, it is meaningless before my lava release," a voice sounded behind him.

With wide eyes, Kisame spun around only to be punched in the gut with a lava coated fist. The Mist nin flew backwards and skidded to a halt in the dirt, landing on his ass. Kisame leaned forward and immediately coughed up blood. Something in the direction he just came from vanished with a poof.

" _Damn it, fooled by a shadow clone."_

It was at this moment that he smelled something familiar; burning fish. The Akatsuki member wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and stood up, gripping his stomach. His hand met with the burnt skin which caused the pain to become even worse. The wound seemingly burned more intensely under the touch, if that was even possible. The skin felt damaged and raw but he didn't know the full extent of his injuries, that would have to wait until after the fight was over.

His hand dropped from its place on his abdomen just as Rōshi brought a foot down in an attempt to force him back to the ground. Kisame dodged the attack and swung Samehada at head level. The sword sliced through his opponent's cheek, getting a taste of his chakra. Kisame smirked as Samehada unravelled, scales glistening and glowing. The four tails backed away, eyes fixated on the sword as both men began furiously forming hand signs. Kisame completed his sequence first and expelled copious amounts of water from his mouth, creating a wave beneath him. Through the water, he could see a small mountain forming behind his opponent. When Kisame was finished and his wave was ready to charge, the mountain started to rumble, indicating its volcanic tendencies. Kisame wasted no time and surged his wave forward, crashing into the four tails just as the volcano erupted.

Above the water Kisame could see a flower like pattern as the wide spray of molten rocks was launched into the sky. Such an image was rather striking, until boulders started landing inches from his face, heating the water to an uncomfortable temperature. Even someone with the underwater prowess of Kisame would run into problems if they stayed in this environment for too long. Kisame swerved left and right, swimming towards his target with as much speed as he could manage, dodging the variety of rocks crashing around him. He conjured a shark out of water and directed it towards Rōshi. Kisame entered the shark's body and they glided as one, moving effortless through the water at an alarming rate. Just as the shark was about to reach him, Kisame exited and allowed the impact to slam into Rōshi fully. Kisame took Samehade, now fully unsheathed, in hand and struck the four tails several times, slicing and biting through his skin while eating away at his chakra. Ribbons of blood danced in the water as the life force and strength was fading from the four tails. With a final swing, Samehada knocked him out of the wave completely and into the volcano's side. Pieces of rubble flew in all directions as the jinchuuriki emitted a pained gasp, blood trailing out of the multiple lacerations on his body.

The Mist nin followed suit and ran towards him, not wanting to take the chance of this being another surprise attack. He trapped the four tails in a water prison to ensure he was sufficiently drained of his energy and unconscious. The four tails struggled, trying to release himself from his spherical prison to no avail. The volcano ceased erupting and disappeared from existence with a resounding puff of smoke. Kisame took this opportunity to steady his breathing as he watched the jinchuuriki flail in the water. Rōshi's movements slowed and eventually halted completely. Once satisfied, he released his own jutsu and watched the body hit the ground with a wet thud.

The shark nin picked up the limp body and flung it over Samehada for easy carrying. Itachi had made his way over at some point and looked at him, discontent written on his normally expressionless face. Kisame cocked an eyebrow at him, expecting an explanation from his partner.

"You should have a bit more respect for elders than that," Itachi elaborated, handing Kisame's forgotten cloak back to him.

Did Itachi not see any of what transpired? Kisame knew his partner wouldn't involve himself unless necessary but still. He could have at least watched the battle and pretended to be ready to assist. The Mist nin scoffed, "You have no idea what I've been through. It seems you're the one who shouldn't underestimate him."

At this, Itachi's eyes fell to the shark's abdomen and Kisame took a deep breath in. He didn't like being stared at in such a scrutinizing manner, especially by his partner. He felt… almost weak under his gaze, weak and irritated. Itachi could have probably come out of that battle without a scratch on him and here he was, burned with the taste of old blood in his mouth. The shark forgot that he was holding his breath and exhaled forcefully. Kisame walked onward towards the hideout, "Now come on, I want to get this sealing over with."

* * *

AN: I may have procrastinated and got this entire chapter done today. You do not want to look at my browsing history. It is literally around 50 pages of Narutopedia and several videos of these two fighting so I can see the techniques as best as I could. It's research I tell you, research! All of these jutsus are real and I did my best to portray everything well. I may not have included the names of said jutsus but you can find them on Narutopedia if you dig deep enough into the character profiles. I don't know, I hope this chapter was alright at least. Would love to know what you think about the fic so far, so leave me a comment and tell me what's on your mind. Also, if you guys are unaware, my profile lists what days I'm most likely going to update my story/stories on! The dates are susceptible to change but I will update the dates if they do. And with that, I sleep, peace out y'all. And thanks for you patience.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Been in a funk recently so I haven't been working on this as much as I should have. Apologies, but it's done now! Better late than never, right?

* * *

The trip back to the Akatsuki hideout was uneventful to say the least. Any travellers that saw the two, technically three, men would run in the opposite direction. Sealing the four tails, however, was the exact opposite. That took three days and the two men were physically exhausted. Kisame sat to rest his body after the strenuous hours of sealing. He felt his legs sing with relief and groan with pain simultaneously. Taking a deep breath in, he closed his eyes. He didn't know how tired he was until that moment. Sleep wanted to take his body and mind right there on the cold, dark floor. Shuffling ensued as people left, no doubt going to rest up or catch a tailed beast of their own. Kisame stayed quiet, listening to the banter between partners. Hidan was making the most noise of course, so he naturally homed in on his conversation. He was currently asking Kakuzu why they couldn't "get it the fuck over with," to which Kakuzu replied with an agitated explanation of their plan and preparations that needed to be made. Kisame chuckled as he felt the tension between the two shinobi rise. It was always nice to observe this type of ordeal from afar. If he was too close, he'd run the risk of being dragged into it. At this point he'd be just as exasperated as Kakuzu but even less patient. The shark was so caught up in the profanity that was spewing from Hidan's mouth that he stilled completely when he finally felt a familiar presence near him.

Itachi stood beside the shark nin, remaining silent as he observed well. Kisame willed his eyes open and looked up at his partner, taking the opportunity to observe how slender Itachi was. As he was a person who specialized in genjutsu, it came as no surprise that he wasn't as muscular as his Mist counterpart. However, it was even more apparent now that he had removed his Akatsuki cloak. Kisame drew his gaze upward and noticed that Itachi wasn't looking at him, he seemed to be too fixated on something across the room. Kisame wanted to look away from him and see what had grabbed his partner's attention but couldn't bring himself to do so. Itachi looked much different from this angle, much more… attractive? Kisame could tell why he received all the attention from the women in every village they went to. Even though Itachi was not as muscular as himself, he was still toned and had excellent combat form. His face was still sharp enough to offset any femininity brought about by his long hair. His dark features complimented his pale skin and the piercing gaze he had was enough to make any woman blush. Itachi was as beautiful as he was powerful. Kisame, on the other hand, was all power and no looks in his opinion. As a shinobi, he knew was capable and a force to be reckoned with, but as a lover… to put it bluntly, a mate just wasn't in the cards for someone like him. He could easily say that not many people found grey-blue skin and gills attractive. If someone did he sure as hell hadn't found that person. Kisame immediately looked in the direction that caught his partner's attention, trying not to feel inadequate.

Pein was approaching as the remaining Akatsuki left the room. Kisame stood to greet his fellow member and leader, legs chastising him for the decision. Pein regarded him with a nod and turned his attention to Itachi.

"I have a matter I wish to speak with you about," Pein stated as evenly as one could. Itachi just continued to stare at Pein, waiting for him to proceed.  
"There is a group of individuals that are seeking you out. They go by Team Hebi and it appears that their goal is not one of peace," Pein elaborated.

Itachi turned to exit the room, "Whatever their plan is, it will only end in their failure."

"They are not to be underestimated. The leader of this group not only successfully killed Orochimaru, but is nonother than your brother, Sasuke Uchiha."

At this Itachi stopped in his tracks, turning his head slightly towards Pein as if looking for confirmation. Pein nodded and continued.

"I thought it would be best if I told you directly and allowed you the opportunity to handle this problem as you see fit. He is your brother after all. It appears as though they do not seek to overthrow or challenge the Akatsuki, so this matter is more of concern to you in particular."

"Are you certain about this?" Itachi inquired, visibly tensing.

Pein walked towards Itachi and stopped beside him, "I know you'll handle this well, whatever manner it may be." At this the shinobi resumed in his exiting, leaving the two partners alone.

Kisame looked at Itachi, unsure of what to say. Itachi could easily defeat his brother, but if that was the case, why did he tense? Was he nervous? Perhaps it was something else; he didn't want to fight his younger brother. Kisame walked over and stood beside Itachi just as Pein did.

"It appears as though the time has finally come, Sasuke," Itachi whispered to himself. "I hope you're ready."

Kisame couldn't be silent any longer. Between seeming Itachi like this and the feelings he had been having over the course of the past couple days, he had to say something.  
"Why do you not want to fight your brother, Itachi?"

"It's not that I don't wish to fight him. In fact, I expect Sasuke to kill me," Itachi stated plainly as he exited the base, Kisame in close pursuit.

This last statement was said so casually that Kisame didn't register what was said right away. The shark nin starred at his partner in utter confusion. Did Itachi really believe that Sasuke was a stronger shinobi? Before he could formulate any questions to ask, his partner spoke.

"I have a request of you, Kisame. I wouldn't ask it of you except it seems Sasuke is not coming alone. I wish to fight him without any interference. I will need you to distract his comrades while our fight occurs."

"I can do that but why not just have me help you fight? We could take them all out easily if we worked together," Kisame suggested, still unclear as to why the Uchiha was so certain of his impending death. When they entered the outside world for the first time in days, it was a dreary sight.

After a moment of silence, Itachi answered, "Because I want Sasuke to kill me."

This was the last answer he had expected. At first, he assumed that he had misheard the Uchiha due to the pouring rain, but Itachi's demeanor said otherwise. Kisame starred dumfounded at his now soaked partner. Why the hell did he want to die? Why was Sasuke the one who was going to be the one to do it? 'Why' seemed to be the main question. Kisame couldn't understand any of it. He was angry above all else. Angry that Itachi was seemingly throwing his life away for no apparent reason. Without thinking, Kisame rushed over to Itachi, picked him up with one hand and slammed him into a nearby tree, pinning him against the trunk with a forearm. Itachi just looked at him slightly confused, but he didn't struggle. Kisame pulled out Samehada and placed the tip close to his partner's neck.

"If you're so intent on dying, I'll put you in the ground right now," Kisame hissed through gritted teeth.

Itachi placed a hand on Kisame's forearm and sighed, seemingly weighing several options. Kisame realized the situation he had put them both in and released his partner. He returned Samehada to her place and waited for an explanation. The rain continued to pound on through the conversation's silence.

"I suppose I should tell you the truth about why I joined the Akatsuki, about who I am. I was in the Anbu Black Ops when I was still associated with the Leaf Village. At some point the Uchiha clan was planning a coup d'état. They thought it was the right thing to do after being accused of being the cause of the Nine Tailed Fox attack on the village many years ago," Itachi turned away from Kisame and watched the rain fall. Kisame relaxed slightly as he was finally getting the information he desired.

Itachi continued, "If this happened other nations would step in to stop the Uchiha clan and it would have been cause for another Shinobi War. I could not allow such a thing to happen. I decided to inform the village of the clan's plans and was ordered to put a stop to it –"

"By any means necessary…" Kisame finished, still starring at Itachi. His gaze had shifted from anger to realization. His partner avoided his gaze and nodded.

"Correct. I was tasked with eliminating the threat. I had the choice of either betraying my clan and sparring my brother or betraying my village and beliefs while everyone was wiped out. I had to save what I could; the village and my brother. I took full responsibility for the deaths and instructed Sasuke to find me and kill me when his hate for me was strong enough. I left the village and became a member of the Akatsuki in order to present myself to Sasuke as a greater threat. Now it appears as though it's time to see this through to the end. So, I ask you again, just make sure no one interferes with or fight."

Kisame couldn't keep his thoughts straight, everything he knew about his partner was essentially a lie. How could this have been kept from him, from Itachi's own village, for so long?

"And just where do you plan on going for the end?" Kisame asked plainly, still in disbelief.

Itachi glanced up at the grey sky with a solemn expression, "The only place that seems fitting; the old Uchiha hideout."

The former Leaf nin turned towards Kisame and looked at him almost apologetically, "This is something I must do, for Sasuke's sake."

With that, he headed off in the direction of what could only be assumed as his grave. Kisame stood for a moment, rain becoming increasingly deafening to the Mist nin as he watched his partner distance himself from him. Kisame was full of emotions and didn't expect to, nor did he care for this amount of weakness he felt. Sorting through his thoughts would take some time and all he could do right now was trudge behind his partner on their way to his death sentence.

* * *

AN: Don't worry, Kisame, I think you're hot. He's shown to feel like a freak and not handsome in comparison to Itachi in some clips, so I thought I'd throw a bit of that in there. This was honestly my favourite chapter to write yet. Such emotion, much drama, wow. I know Itachi became an Akatsuki member as part of a new Leaf mission but I doubt he would have divulged that much info to Kisame or any member for that matter. I also know that originally the whole group was informed of Hebi and Deidara tried to eliminate Sasuke first but I say nay! I want it this way, damnit!


End file.
